


Something Breaking

by HanShaped (Herra_Sombra)



Series: Jumping Through Dimensions [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: And More Angst, Angst, But With Not That Angsty Ending, Dimension Jumper AU, F/M, Follow-Up To 'Something Lost Something Found', the Nightmare Realm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 18:16:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12259551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herra_Sombra/pseuds/HanShaped
Summary: She had waited for that one moment for months, hoping to once again see the faces of her dear friends, coming to rescue her from that nightmarish dimension.And nowhefinally was here, right in front of her.Only to shatter her dreams.(A continuation ofSomething Lost, Something Found.)





	Something Breaking

**Author's Note:**

> Adeline Marks belongs to wondreful [Hunter](https://hntrgurl13.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Based on [that great comic](https://hntrgurl13.tumblr.com/post/143263958362/hntrgurl13-right-consider-this-the-next-part).
> 
> I don't know if I'm actually pleased with this one as much as I was with the first one (again, writing from Ford's perspective proved to be so much easier), but I hope you'll like it nonetheless :)

They were still for a few moments. Adeline, even despite a nagging gut feeling that something had to be wrong, wasn't able to contain her happiness upon seeing a face of a man that had grown to mean so much to her for the last few years.

Her smile only grew and she couldn't help herself but threw her arms around Stanford's shoulders. “I knew you'd come for me!,” she mumbled into his trenchcoat, feeling that joyful tears slowly started to gather in her eyes.

She broke the embrace to look at him. He seemed slightly nervous, his lips forming a tight line, and avoided her gaze. “How long have been here?,” he asked evenly, neither confirming nor contradicting her statement.

His reaction was a bit unsettling, but Adeline brushed it off as a mere misguided hunch, her hopes high enough to cloud her reason. “Only a few months,” she reassured him quickly. “But you're here now! We can go home!,” she exclaimed excitedly, beaming and completely ignoring Stanford's nervous fidgeting with his six-fingered hands. “I'm sure Fidds is with Shiftie until we get back, right?”

She watched as he raised his gaze, so many emotions discernible on his face, and yet none of them was even close to happiness or excitement. He opened his mouth, clearly trying to say something, but no words came out.

“Right?…,” she repeated weakly, her voice breaking before she got a chance to finish that one short word. She could feel the realisation hitting her as Stanford looked at her with that heartbreaking mixture of sadness, disappointment, guilt, and anger.

She gulped, tears once again threatening to fall down her cheeks; this time, though, they were far from being a sign of delight. In a split second the air she was breathing in felt like fire, while she was choking, an unseen force holding on to her throat with an iron grip. It took her a few breaths to convince herself that she would live; that it was just her emotions overwhelming her. “You fell into the portal, too,” she stated bluntly and so quietly that for a moment she was afraid he hadn't heard her.

His reaction, however, indicated otherwise. He nodded slowly, compressing his lips. She noticed his fists were clenched tightly. “I'm  _ so _ sorry,” he whispered, apparently not knowing what else to say.

She felt her heart sank as her knees hit the harsh rocky ground. “It's… it's okay.” In reality it was far from being okay, as the world seemed to come crashing down around her ears. “We'll figure something out.” She didn't know if she tried to assure him or just herself, doing her best to ignore Stanford's gaze boring into her with that bitter sense of guilt, even though she could hardly blame him for anything that had just happened.

Well, maybe except for making a deal with that triangle bastard in the first place.

If only that ill-fated rope hadn't snapped… She would've warned them about the impending disaster. They could've made proper adjustments, and—who knows—maybe they would've been able to use the portal without a risk of hell breaking loose. And Stanford would've gained a recognition he had always dreamed of…

She bit her lip and shook her head, trying not to think about all of it now. It wouldn't change anything, anyway. Despite knowing that, she couldn't stop her thoughts from wandering to what might have been. They could have achieved so much, and yet they ended up hiding in a cave in some unimaginably nightmarish dimension.

“Are you alright?” A quiet question interrupted her train of thoughts, forcing her to focus on a worried look on Stanford's face.

She heaved a sigh and slowly stood up. “Yes,” she declared shortly, pinching a bridge of her nose. “I will be,” she added after a moment and offered him her help, reaching a hand in his direction, which he gladly took.

When he was fully standing as well, something a bit alarming caught her attention—something she had disregarded earlier. He seemed very exhausted. Hunching slightly, he looked at her, his eyes half-lidded, with circles under them a shade too dark even for as hardworking person as he was. His clothes were wrinkled and stained, as if he hadn't changed them in days.

“You know, actually I could ask you the same question,” she remarked calmly, even though she knew that worry was probably quite well visible on her face.

He just bored his eyes into the ground and stayed silent. “I'll explain it to you…  _ later _ ,” he emphasized, when he eventually decided to speak.

“That's fine.” This time her voice was tender, and she gently squeezed his arm. “We should join the rest, anyway. I have to introduce you and explain what you're doing here.” She flashed him a quick small smile, turned back and started to walk towards a purplish glow.

She could tell he was following and for a moment all she was able to hear was their shallow breaths and hushed voices of her companions. She took a deep breath, trying to soothe her nerves a bit. The moment she had been waiting for months had turned out to be a one huge disappointment.

She wasn't mad at Stanford, of course. Accidents always tended to happen, of which she's the best proof. And one could hardly do much about a flawed human nature, bound to show itself at one time or another. Adeline just wished that it hadn't cost her—hadn't cost  _ them _ —their home and their normal lives.

So much was she immersed in her thoughts, that she almost missed a quiet thump behind her. She turned around abruptly, only to see Stanford back on his knees, supporting his head with his hands.

Her reaction was very quick. In a matter of a few seconds she was once again on the ground, her hands placed securely on his shoulders. “Are you sure nothing's wrong?” Although she tried to meet his gaze, he kept his eyes shot, wincing slightly. “You look like you haven't slept in weeks,” she observed evenly, forcing a half-hearted smile on her lips.

She hoped that her comment would lighten up the mood at least a bit, but Stanford's response—or rather lack of thereof—sent her almost into a panic. Her imitation of a smile vanished, as she squeezed his shoulders tighter. “Tell me you  _ have _ slept,” she pleaded desperately. “Tell me you are joking.”

She felt that he did his best to breathe more evenly. “Bill…”—it was all he whispered, leaning into her, clearly seeking some comfort.

She covered her mouth with one of her hands, preventing a desperate gasp from escaping. She should've seen that one coming—at least part of her was aware of that; the other one was naively hoping that that beastly triangle might have let go. Or that Stanford had shut off the portal, deeming it as too dangerous, and, consequently, moved to other projects, not involving that psychopathic demon.

It didn't take her long to figure out, though, that he must've played with Stanford, using his manipulative mind tricks all over again. And, what's even worse, she had been quite possibly of a convenient use for him. After all, Stanford must've blamed himself for all that had happened…

“Nightmares?,” she breathed, not even waiting for any form of a replay from him. Sighing, she helped him to his feet, stepped under one of his arms and gripped his hand reassuringly, trying to support some of his weight.

They slowly started to move towards the purple glow. “You need to rest a bit, before we decide what to do next,” she stated gently after a few steps. “I'd like you to have a clear mind,” she explained, corners of her lips raising in what was barely a smile.

She felt him stiffen slightly, but then a small nod followed. He must've decided that arguing with her was senseless at this point.

The weight of him, leaning closely against her, made her realise how much she had missed and craved for that kind of closeness to a fellow human being. Spending months surrounded by alien creatures, she had almost forgotten how it was like to be so physically close to the other person. And even though she was the one giving comfort, it was comforting for her as well.

She snorted softly. Her heart might've broken today, hope of going back home perished, and yet the future didn't seem as gloomy as it once had. After all, now she had someone she could lean on—someone, with whom the idea of surviving in dangerous and unfamiliar dimensions didn't look as frightening as before.


End file.
